Thursday, May 20, 2010

Yesterday, Dave Matthews Band issued an official press release stating that they'd be taking the entire year of 2011 off:

"A MESSAGE TO OUR FANS

As we feel the excitement building for this summer, we wanted to let everyone know that after twenty years of consecutive touring, Dave Matthews Band will be taking 2011 off. We feel lucky that our tours are a part of so many people's lives, and wanted to give everyone as much notice as possible. We're excited to make this summer one of our best tours yet, and look forward to returning to the road in 2012."

This may or not be great news, since last year's Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King was the band's best album in a decade. However, after relentless touring for that entire decade, it's about time they took some time off. That said, I wouldn't rule out a follow-up to Matthews' 2001 solo record Some Devil.

So to coincide with that announcement, here's my top 5 unreleased Dave Matthews Band tracks:

'#40'Also called 'Always', '#40' is one of the band's long lost tunes. It's sometimes teased at shows, but has only been played in its entirety once in the last eight years. The definitive version is the Live at Yoshis performance, and if you can get your hands on that bootleg, I highly recommend it. A fantastic recording.

'Good Good Time'First played at the Bonnaroo Festival in 2004 and originally titled 'Thing' and later 'Hmmm', 'Good Good Time' made its debut as a Dave Matthews and Friends song, but was equally great when brought to the table by the full band.

'Granny'One of the oldest DMB tracks, it dates back to 1992, but has not been released as part of an studio album. It's still played regularly on tour, and was recorded in the sessions for Under the Table and Dreaming. A live favourite of many long-time fans.

'Joyride'First played in 2004 alongside other new tunes intended for Stand Up, 'Joyride' was a million times better than 'Hello Again' which made the cut. It was released as a bonus track, but the majority of listeners would not have heard it.

'Sweet Up and Down'Leaked as part of the unofficial Lilywhite Sessions, this song was cut from the final release of Busted Stuff, and along with 'JTR' is a huge omission from that album.